Helping hand
by DawnAngel14
Summary: Nojiko has some troubles, both economic and personal. Ace silently offers a helping hand. Ace/Nojiko, AU.


**AN**: A little Ace/Nojiko oneshot I made for the opfanforall comm in livejournal. Enjoy!

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><p>"Hm..."<p>

Nojiko sighed. This woman had been looking at the tangerines for an _entire hou_r -literally- and she _still_ hadn't picked even one. What was she, an expert food critic? She was starting to get on her nerves.

Even through that wasn't a difficult goal to archive.

"So, are you going to pick one or..." commented the young blunette.

The elder woman shot her a threatening glare.

"How rude!" she barked. "Oh, forget it. This tangerines look horrible anyway. I might as well go to the supermarket."

And just like that, the costumer left.

"Damn." her fist hit the wall to her right, slightly shanking the tangerines that stood next to her.

Another lost costumer. Nojiko wasn't exactly the most patient woman, but that didn't mean she was rude. The woman was just stupid, that was it. But with the sales so low, she couldn't lose costumers. She needed to survive and keep paying Nami's college. Even if she was to be sacrificed, she would make sure her little sister went to college, she wouldn't allow her to make the same mistake that she did and miss the chance to go there.

She even had to fire her other employees, Yosaku and Johnny, due to money shortage.

"If only I had a little more of money..."

"Yo!"

She turned around immediately, she hadn't even noticed she wasn't alone anymore! A shirtless, black-haired guy stood in front of her, slightly taller than her and about her same age approximately.

'_A costumer?_' she wondered internally. She quickly forgot her fists to flash a warm smile at him.

"Welcome to Bellemere Tangerines. Anything I can help you with?" she asked in an almost robotic manner.

"Yeah, what's your name?" he asked back.

Nojiko frowned. "My name?" she repeated, confused.

"Yes, how do people call you..."

"Hm... Nojiko." she finally admitted, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You're not here to buy tangerines, are you?"

"Nope." he admitted with a cheerful smile. "I'm here looking for some one. Oh, and I'm Ace, by the way."

"Oh, Ace. I don't care." she rolled her eyes, her initial warmness forgotten. "If you're not here to buy, then just leave, I have no time to lose."

"Right. Because there's so many costumers here keeping you busy." she glared at him. "Ok, sorry, don't give me that look."

Nojiko sighed. This man was going to drive her insane if he kept on like that. Ace kept looking at the tangerines and eventually grabbed one. He sat down on the counter that was just beside him and started casually eating it.

"I just hope you have money to pay for that one." stated the blunette icyly.

"Oh don't worry, I'll pay." he took a tiny sack from his pocket and threw it at her. "There. Happy?"

"Hm, yeah, pretty much." she took the golden coins that fell from the sack and guarded them on her own pocket. "Now, is there really anything you need or did you just come here to annoy me?"

"I think I'll settle for a mixture of both." she glared at him again. "Fine, fine. My, you have no sense of humor at all, do you?"

"Yes I have it. Just not at work."

"You should work less then."

"Will you tell me now what do you want?"

"I've been looking for this guy, Blackbeard. My father had a problem with him, so I'm tracking him down, but the guy's sneaky as hell. So here I am." explained Ace. "By any chance did you see him?"

He rose the poster of a very large and very ugly man with black, messy hair and a black beard. Nojiko shook her head.

"Nope. Never seen him."

"Damn. Well, at least you're nicer than the old geezer from the pet shop next door, one of his dogs almost bi-"

He silenced when he looked up. She was staring at the door, terrified, her eyes about to pop out from fear. What the hell was wrong with the woman now? It wasn't like he was telling her a horror story or anything...

Oh, someone had entered the store. He hadn't realized until he heard the noise of the door being closed. A huge man was standing there, incredibly tall and with a big, toothy grin that gave him a bizarre resemblance with a shark. Now he understood her look.

The man's entire presence imposed fear.

"Well, aren't you going to greet me, Nojiko?" smiled the tall man. "How are you?"

"A... I-I'm fine, Arlong." she stuttered, strugling to find her voice.

He frowned. "Mister Arlong, don't forget."

"Yes, Mister Arlong. Um..." she looked up, trying to look more secure. "Is there anything you need? You weren't supposed to come until the end of the month if I'm correct..."

But you're not correct." smiled Arlong. "Pay day is today."

"Wha- but..." she took a fearful step backwards. "But... I don't have money today... I'm saving to pay at the end of the month, but I don't have anything... not now..."

"Oh, so you don't have money?" he asked in a mocking tone, the grin never leaving his face. Ace frowned, he wasn't liking his tone. "Well, that's not a problem."

She looked up, her eyes shining with hope. "It's not?"

"Why, of course it's not! It's not like I can't understand you, if you don't have money what can I do..."

Nojiko's face lit up with joy. Not everything was lost!

Her joy disappeared the second Arlong's fist met the first row of tangerines.

**oo00oo00oo00oo00oo**

"So, tomorrow I'll come for the pay, got it?" said Arlong as he headed towards the door. "That is, unless you want me to go ask Nami for money."

"No I... I'll pay tomorrow." muttered Nojiko in response.

"Good." he smirked evily. "Have a good day."

Nojiko sat on her knees in the middle of the mess as the man exited the place, his laughter could be clearly heard over the distance. Her eyes refused to allow tears to flow, but they also refused to look around.

The shop was a complete mess. Tangerines scattered everywhere, many of them crushed on the floor, furniture broken, shelves torn in two, everything was destroyed. Except for the counter Ace still sat at.

"Why... why are you still here?" she spoke slowly, not looking up.

"Hm, I was thinking on how to beat the guy, but I didn't want to destroy the place." reflected the young man. He looked around. "Of course, that isn't an issue now."

A sad smile formed on her lips. "That's Arlong for you. He showed up here in Cocoyashi an year ago, claimed the territory was his and we all ahve to pay him if we want to stay alive."

"And you do because..."

"We're not stupid. He showed us he can be... rough, when expressing his ideals."

"What do you..."

"He killed people as examples." she looked up. "And if you don't mind, we're closed for the day. Please, leave."

Ace jumped down from the counter and marched towards the door, his hat covering his face.

"Thanks for the food." he muttered before leaving, and it was only then, when she was alone, that she allowed herself to cry.

**oo00oo00oo00oo00oo**

Arlong smiled at the money in front of him. He had collected a lot today with the 'advanced pay day'. '_I should do this more often_', he smirked at the thought.

A sudden thunder erupted outside and he noticed he wasn't alone. The broken window allowed the figure in front of him to enter the place, but Arlong, fearless as he was, just gave his unpredicted visitor an evil grin.

"Who is the idiot that breaks into my home? Don't you know who I am?"

"No, but I don't care." he rose his hat, allowing the tall, shark-like man to look at his face properly. "But I'm 'Firefist' Ace, charmed to meet you. And goodbye."

**oo00oo00oo00oo00oo**

"Nojiko! Have you heard the news?" yelled the old man as he entered the blunette's tangerines shop.

"No, something wrong Gen-san?" she asked, leaving aside the broom she was using to clean the place. She had already replaced the furniture with the help of her neightbors and gotten many tangerines to replace the destroyed ones, but there were still splinters and broken glass on the floor.

"Wrong? On the contrary, it's amazing news!" exclaimed Gen, with such joy that he seemed like he was about to cry. "Arlong! Someone attacked him!"

"A-attacked him?"

"Yeah, by someone who seemed to be strong, whoever it was beated him like a punching bag!"

"Wait, so he's..."

Genzo nodded. "Everyone closed their places for the day and gone celebrating, you should join us Nojiko."

"I... think I'm fine here... maybe I'll go later." she whispered, holding back the emotion on her voice and joy filling every part of her body.

Gen-san nodded again and left with a smile on his face.

Yet when Nojiko turned around to take the remaining dust from the floor towards the trash, another voice could be heard.

"Hey!"

She swiftly turned around, so fast that she forgot the broom and it fell loudly on the wooden floor. There he was, the same weird guy from the other day, leaning against the door drame, arms crossed over his chest...

"Ace..."

He grinned. "I'm still looking for this guy. Wanna come with me? I could use the help of someone who knows this place. Now that pay day isn't coming, I don't think you have an excuse..."

'How does he know pay day is...' and then she got it. She responded with a smile.

"Sure, I don't mind helping you." she decided, hanging the apron she was wearing to head towards the door.

He left after her, the sign on the door quickly flipping to CLOSED.


End file.
